Funny Story Review
"A cynic is a romantic who’s too scared to hope"
We’re turning the page on our May book, Funny Story.
One Sentence Summary:
Two 30-somethings move in together after their exes dump them…for each other.
My Thoughts
With a summary like that, you’d expect this book to get messssyyyyyy.
Instead, I found Funny Story to be….palatable.
Kinda bland.
Kinda cute.
Kinda boring.
Before I dive deeper, you should know that romance isn’t my genre.
I have a hard time when a story’s main dramatic question is “Will they get together?”
The answer is always “Yes.”
The rest feels like fluff.
I do make an exception for Romantasy. In that genre, romance is secondary to surviving the war/dragons/parasite overlords/vampire government etc...
Now those are stakes!
Funny Story, by contrast, is about two recently single people living together and denying that they want to date for 400 pages.
Not exactly thrilling…
And yet! This book has a 4.5 rating on Goodreads! There is a life-size pop-up of the book cover in Indigo! It’s been on every anticipated book list for 2024! It has its own merch!
Clearly, the publishing industry has pre-determined that this will be the read of the summer.
I am less convinced.
Things I liked about the book:
The side characters. The plot was…fine… but all the quirky side characters made this an enjoyable read.
The banter. For a book called Funny Story, I didn’t laugh much. Luckily, the dialogue was cute enough to carry me through.
The Read-A-Thon. This event wasn’t interesting to read about, but I still want to go to one! How fun!
The time pressure. Books are made better with countdowns! Throughout the story, we knew exactly how much time was left before Daphne was planning to move. I always appreciate when authors use this device to keep up the pace.
The writing. This isn’t my favourite book, but Emily Henry is a solid writer. There were some great lines! There were a few adorable scenes! The emotions felt plausible! I see why she is a beloved romance author. I get it, I swear I do. It’s just not for me.
A few lines that stuck out:
When Miles burns the asparagus in a very tension-filled moment: “Meanwhile, I’m standing there, waiting for the fizz to settle.” (pg 109)
This very solid interpretation of Daphne’s ex: “It’s easy to be around people who don’t know you. But as soon as someone starts to figure you out — as soon as you can’t be perfect — it’s easier to move on.” (pg 246)
An astute observation from Daphne’s mom: “..a cynic is a romantic who’s too scared to hope” (pg 273)
Things I didn’t like
We were promised a wedding!!! In a fake dating scenario, we gotta see them struggle to keep up the facade! That’s the whole point, no? Why tell us we’d see them at their exes’ wedding and then not deliver?! I was so excited for this chaos!!
The….choreography. Not to be this person, but in chapter 28 I was fully taken out of the sex scene because- and I’ve read this three times now - I think Daphne takes her pants off twice??!?? Did anyone else notice that?
The epilogue. Oh, so they have a perfect life? SHOCKING. (I know romance is all about happy endings, but I just can’t find the will to care)
Rating
I’m giving Funny Story 3 stars.
I would have given it 2.5, but there wasn’t anything wrong with it.
There just wasn’t anything super exciting about it either.
Will I remember this book in three months? No.
Am I mad I read it? Also no.
I see why Emily Henry is a fan favourite, and I respect her for it.
If you want a light, easy, cute read - this is for you!
As for me, I will be diving back into my usual sad, dark, no-one-gets-out-unscathed books.
Our Next Chapter:
Like this one….
Worry, Alexandra Tanner. This book is billed as “a Seinfeldian novel of existentialism and sisterhood.” The perfect palette cleanser after a happy-go-lucky romcom.
Read along with My Side Plot on Fable and Instagram
Also On My Shelf:
Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo
Even darker! This book involves two literal trips to Hell. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait for the third book to come out.
Yellowface, R.F. Kuang
But wait - there’s more darkness! I’m finally getting around to this one and was thoroughly obsessed after the first chapter. Fun fact: I had a friend in publishing tell me that this was the most realistic portrayal of the industry. Pretty fucked up, but okay….
Night Shift, Annie Crown
Now here’s a super campy, not well-written romance if that’s your vibe…. I give it 0.5/5 stars.
Epilogue:
What did you think!?!?
Are you following along on Fable??
How are you tracking for your 2024 goal?